The Puranam of Narasingka Munaiyaraiya Nayanar

1. He hailed from the dynasty of princes who reigned,
Poised undeviatingly in impartial justice; he ruled
Holding the Holy Ash of the blue-throated Lord
As the great wealth; he was the prince of Tirumunaippaadi
Abounding naturally with, and so, not sought after,
Foison great; he was Narasingkamunaiyaraiyar. (3983)

2. This great prince of munaiyar dynasty ruled
From his city; he vanquished his foes in many a war;
He quelled the wickedness of the evil way; convinced
That great beatitude rests in the service
To the feet of the servitors eminent in serving
The Lord who wields the long trident, he served them. (3984)

3. He caused the divine wealth to increase in every temple
Of Siva, the Rider of wrathful Bull, and fostered it
Even if his life came to be imperiled; he would not
Even in his dream, swerve from his duty of servitorship
To the Lord whose beauteous chest is bedecked
With garlands of rudraaksha beads and a carapace. (3985)

4. Unto the river-crested Lord, during every Aatirai day
He would, apart from his daily ritual worship,
Perform a splendorous pooja full of devotion;
He would, that day, give a hundred sovereigns
Fresh from the mint, to each of the assembled
Servitors and treat them to nectarean feast. (3986)

5. As he thus flourished, during a Tiruvaatirai day
When he was giving glittering gold to the lofty
And sublime servitors, thither came a person
Of blemish-ridden body full of dishonourable
Signs of lust; but lo, he wore the holy ash. (3987)

6. Beholding his form those others that were near him
Moved away in sheer contempt; witnessing this, the prince
Walked toward him, folded his hands in adoration,
Took him with him and hailed him with pleasing words. (3988)

7. Desiring to prevent the fall of the men of the world
Into hell should they disrespect person wearing
The holy ash though they should lack character, the prince
Gave him twice the quantity of gold that he gave
To each of those servitors assembled there, made obeisance
To him, spoke sweet words and then gave him leave to depart. (3989)

8. Thus he flourished, ever poised in the way of such
Servitorship; he fostered it with splendorous love;
His chinta became immaculate; thus, even thus,
He reached the umbrage of the flower-feet
Of the Lord whose jewels are snakes with sacs
Of poison, and came by the beatitude of bliss
Married to unending devotion and love. (3990)

9. Adoring the ankleted feet of Narasingka Munaiyar
The prince firmly rooted in the true servitorship
Unto the Lord who wears as adornments poisonous snakes,
We proceed to indite the dutiful and beautiful
Servitorship of Athi Patthar of Naakai endowed
With a harbour that receives into it ships laden
With great riches, and is besides renowned
For its huge and musty elephants. (3991)

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NOTES

Verse No.

This Naayanaar is the patron of St. Sundarar.

4. The asterism (the Betelgeuse) is dear to Siva.

5. Cf. Verse 5 of the Puranam of Iyarpakai Naayanaar.

7. A devotee is blind to the flaws of a devotee, if only the latter wears on his person
any mark of Saivism.

Here ends the Puranam of Narasingka Munaiaraiya Naayanaar

Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.